Congresswoman Elise Stefanik introduced the Truman Scholarship Clean House Act on Mar. 12, aiming to address what she described as a left-wing bias within the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation.
The proposed legislation seeks to change how the foundation operates, including replacing its current leadership and revising eligibility requirements for scholarship recipients. The issue is significant because the foundation awards scholarships to students pursuing public service careers, and concerns have been raised about political balance in its selection process.
“It is unfortunate and inappropriate that the Truman Scholarship Foundation continues to award scholarships to radical left-wing students—even criminals— rather than address the glaring political imbalance within its organization. Multiple data analyses have revealed the systemic underrepresentation of conservative scholarship recipients. I shared my concerns earlier this year at the board meeting. My legislation would finally reform the Truman Scholarship Foundation to promote an ideologically diverse class of recipients and ensure that only law-abiding students receive these scholarships,” said Stefanik.
The bill proposes firing both the current Board of Directors and Executive Secretary, empowering President Donald Trump to select most new board members with Senate approval, requiring supermajority approval for interviewers who select winners, ensuring no more than half of each interviewer panel belongs to one political party, and limiting eligibility for scholarships to U.S. citizens or nationals. It also sets a code of conduct for applicants, including not leading suspended student organizations, not being suspended or expelled from their institution for misconduct, not having felony convictions, and revoking scholarships if these terms are violated.
Stefanik previously sent a letter urging immediate action on what she called troubling patterns in scholarship awards. The House Education and Workforce Committee will review the bill next week as part of its legislative process.
Stefanik has represented New York’s 21st District in Congress since 2015 after succeeding Bill Owens according to her office. She was born in Albany in 1984 and currently lives in Schuylerville. Stefanik graduated from Harvard University with an AB degree.
